Improvement in canister-shells



W. S. WILLIAMS. GANISTER SHELL.

No.- 41,882. Patented Mar. 8, 1864.

vention.

WILLIAM S. XVILLIAMSfOECAN-TON, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN CANISTERSHELLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent. No.-&l,@@2, dated March 8,186 C To all whom it may concern Beit known that 1, WILLIAM S. WiLLLlMs,of Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a newand useful Iniprovement in Canister-Shells; and'I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the aecompanying'drawings, making part of thisspecification, in which Figure lis a side elevation of the said in- Fig.2 isa rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3- is a front elevation of thesame. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalviews.

The subject of my said invention is a shell carrying a'charge ofcanister-shot, which may be projected fromit at any desired periodduring or at the termination of its flight at any desired interval,after which the entire shell will be exploded in manner hereinafterexplained.

In order that others skilled in the art to which my invention appertainsmay be enabled to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed todescribe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent various "parts of theexternal walls of the shell.

13 is a partition dividing the interior into two chambers, C D, betweenwhich is placed a time-fuse, E, of any suitable construction, adapted tocommunicate fire from one chamber to the other at any interval to whichit may be set.

D is the main explosive chamber. The front chamber, 0, has at its rearend a form similar to the bore of a howitzer, as clearly represented inFig. 4, and is closed in front by a screw-cap, F, with a thread of suchmoderate strength that the explosion of the charge within the chamber 0will blow out the said cap without rupturing the walls A A, and willthus project the balls Gin advance of the shell.

H represents a disk of sheet metal, perforated in its-center, andrest-ing at its periphery in an offset or shoulder, h, so as to confinethe powder in the rear of the chamber 0, and separate the balls G fromthe saidpowder.

I is a tube attached to the plate H around the aperture '5 therein. Thefront of the said tube is formed of sufficient size to receive the neckf of the cap F,within which neckmay be inserted a time-fuse, cut to thedesired number of seconds to produce the first explosion.

K is an abutment in the partition 13, which supports the fuse E, so asto prevent it being forced backward through the partition by the firstexplosion in the chamber 0.

e'rep'resents a guard, of tin or other fusible metal or material,covering the aperture in the fuse E, and employed to prevent gases beingforced through the said aperture at the instant of the explosion, andthen melting, to permit the ignition of the fuse.

- Operation: The shell is taken from the cais son ready for use, withthe exception of cutting the fuse in the cap F to the required num-' berof seconds. As the shell is fired from the gun, the said fuse is ignitedbythe escapingv charge, the said period being determined by the lengthto which the fuse has been cut;

This second explosionhas all the destructive effect of an ordinaryexplosive shell, and of course completely destroys the missile.-

The construction of this shell throws the cen:

ter of gravity so completely in advance of the center of the projectileor of the greatest area of resistance as to effectually preserve itsposition during its flight.

The moral effect of the discharge of the shell, the physical effect ofthe projected balls, and the moral and physical effect of the finalexplosion all combine to render this missile very efficient in action.

The external fuse communicating with the chamber 0 to produce theprimary discharge, may be applied in front of the cap F, as hererepresented, or'at back, or atthe side, as pre ferred.

The shell may be used with a sabot or pack.

The heat of this explosion melts claim as new therein, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The peeuliarly formed hemispherical chamber 0,-in the describedcombination with the shoulder h and final explosive chamber 1) for thepurposes specified.

2. The combination of the perforated plate H, resting upon a shoulder,h, the tapering, tube I, permanently attached by its smaller end to theplate ll around the aperture *5, and the cap with a i'a )ering neck, f,fitting within the large end of the tube'I, all asherein shown anddescribed, and for the purposes specified.

3. The fusible guard 0, applied to the orifice of the fuse 1G in themanner and for the purposes explained.

WM. S. WILLIAMS.

\Vitnesse's:

Oc'mvio'us KNuu-rr, CHARLES .Du Bois.

